How is it April already? 2016 is flying by and I haven’t done well on my goals so far this year, but that’s all changing in April. So, let’s save all the chit chat and get on those goals.

Stay on track with C25K

This is really more to keep me accountable than really challenging myself. Last week, I restarted the C25K program, which I’ll go into more in detail in a post coming next week. As far as my goal goes, I just don’t want to get behind. I want to stay on track, unless I find myself feeling really good and want to complete more than the minimum runs each week, in which case, I could get ahead.

Cross-Train and/or Strength Train 2x/week

I am horrible at getting strength training in but I know how incredibly important it is to incorporate into my workout routine, so I’m shooting to get in 2-3 strength training or other cross training workouts each week. I am including workouts such as bike riding and walking as well, because I know they are important as well and I tend to slack on those too. I need to be better so I’m giving myself baby steps.

Stick to our meal plan 5 out of 7 days each week

When TJ isn’t home for dinner, I honestly get a bit relaxed on dinner and that needs to stop. It’s causing some of our food to waste, and our wallets and my waist don’t need that anymore. To help stick to my meal plans, I’m going to prep what I can. Once the prepping is done, it’s a lot easier to throw everything togetehr and cook dinner.

Get in my step goal 4-5x/week

Even on workout days, I find this isn’t very easy. It really boils to down to the fact that I find myself not moving around as much. I have so much to do everyday that doesn’t involve moving that before I know it the day is almost over and I don’t know how I’ll get them in. To accomplish this goal, I’m setting a reminder in my phone to go off every hour, where I’ll get up and walk for 10-15 minutes. It will give me the break I know I should be taking and help to get my steps in. Talk about a win-win.

Register for a 5K

I’m part of a group on Facebook where April’s challenge is to run 60 miles plus register for a race of any kind. While I’m pretty positive I won’t run 60 miles (walking is not included in the challenge), this even will keep me motivated to move more and try to run more than I normally might. It will also force me to finally register for a 5K. I’ve been talking about it and thinking about it but haven’t done it yet. April will be the month I register for it, as soon as I pick one.

As you can see, most of my April goal are fitness related. I, honestly, think it’s where I need to put my focus right now. Before I was trying to focus on everything at the same time and it just wasn’t working. I wasn’t accomplishing any goals and getting frustrated. I think focusing on just one major aspect right now until my routine is set again will help accomplish what I really want.

I don’t even know where to begin with this recap. This race was one of the most emotional races I have ever run. And not in a bad way. It was the cause, the Nine Line Foundation.

The Nine Line Foundation is a foundation that helps wounded soldiers. What’s so great about them is that they only help one soldier at a time. Rather than focus on all wounded soldiers at once, they focus on one individual. They raise money to help that soldier financially to get the tools they need to rebuild their lives. There is no time limit. They set a goal amount and that soldier remains the focus until all the money has been raised.

The current candidate is SFC Mark Holbert. While responding to an explosion on the outer security perimeter, an IED exploded which resulted in nerve damage, the loss of fingers and his legs. He has made significant progress and is true hero (read his full story here). He has completed in multiple races since his injuries and now as a way to rebuild and improve his quality of life, he needs to have a specially modified smart home. Unfortunately, these are expensive and overwhelming. The Nine Line Foundation is here to help him reach his goal and improve his life. They have a goal of $300,000 to put towards this new home for him. While that is a lot, it’s an extremely worthy cause and I couldn’t have been happier to donate, so when I heard about the 5K being held by ERS Savannah and Nine Line Apparel, an apparel company that believes in wearing the cause and helps to raise money for the foundation, there was no question about signing up.

This was the first year for the race so I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was also a night race, something I had never done before. Something that was familiar, this race was held at the same location as the Kilt and Kolor Run I ran in March. I knew that area but the course was going to be slightly different.

When I arrived, I noticed that this race was a lot smaller than some of the others, but knowing it was a night race and there was also a virtual run option I figured some runners choose that option. I was immediately overcome with emotion when I showed up. I guess reality set in that I was supporting an incredible cause so near and dear to my heart.

Before the start of the race, the race director made a few annoucements about the course, the cause we were supporting and then allowed SFC Holbert say a few words. It was then time to line up. As we all waited for the gun to go off, SFC Holbert began making his way to to front of the start line so that too could compete in the race. Here was an American hero competing in the 10K portion of the race in a wheelchair and I was just competing in the 5K. It kind of puts things in perspective.

The gun goes off and everyone starts running. I’m feeling pretty good and about ¼ quarter mile in, I realize I never turned my Garmin on. Oops! I look down to turn it on and I’m running a 9:25 pace. Holy cow! That’s not me. I was feeling good but knew there was no way I could maintain that pace so I slowed down.

Once everyone started thinning out, I really started to focus on how I was doing. I was feeling pretty good, but each time I looked at my watch, I was still running faster than I should have been. It was this that made me realize I would need a few walk breaks at some point.

And I was right. A little more than halfway through the race, I took my first walk break. It wasn’t long, maybe about 20-30 seconds, but it was long enough to catch my breath and start back again. This was also about the time, where I was able to start seeing the Talmedge Bridge, Savannah’s iconic bridge that takes you across the river and into South Carolina. The race was at dusk and watching the sun set over the bridge was gorgeous. It was a view I could have looked at for hours, but the race must go on, so as I just stared at the sunset as I ran until it was time to turn and I could no longer see the bridge.

Just look at that sunset. Gorgeous, even with an iPhone picture. lol.

Once I made that turn, I knew I was about ½-¾ of a mile from the finish. It was bout this time when I ended up near a 12 year old boy and another woman who looked to be about my age. I was determined not to let the woman pass me. I took one last walk to catch my breath and then started running. I wasn’t going to stop and, in fact, wanted to push harder at the final stretch.

And push harder was what I did. As soon as I hit the dirt path that was the final stretch, I sped up. Nit too much for fear of not being able to finish strong, but I definitely pushed myself, giving myself a strong finish and a sense of pride. I, also began to have a few tears in my eyes (again this cause really did it to me) and I was glad to have been wearing sunglasses.

TJ is totally jealous if the bottle opener we receved as finishers.

When reaching the finish, I noticed there weren’t a lot of people who had come in, so I gave it about 5 minutes and they announced an updated results list. I found my name and it showed I placed 3rd in my age group! Check me out! I have never placed in my age group. Granted, this was a small race and there were only 10 in my age group, but still, I will take it. And not only did I finish 3rd, I also PR’d that race! Talk about a great race.

Can you find me? I’m #25 on the list. This was an unfinished list.

After the fantastic feeling of finishing so well, I waited around for SFT Holbert to arrive. Everyone who was already finished cheered him on and it was incredible to see the support he was given. I gave him time to come in, settle down and relax and then went over and thanked him for his service and told him what an honor it was to meet him. We talked about TJ being the military and about the foundation, along with the owners of Nine Line Apparel. He’s an incredible guy and I can’t express how happy I am to have been able to help him and this foundation.

All in all the race was amazing and definitely one of the best I had ever run. This race (both the live race and the virtual) raised $20,000 towards SFC Holbert’s smart home. I think that’s incredible considering it was the first year and it was relatively small.

Would you like to donate to the Nine Line Foundation and help raise money for SFC Holbert’s new home? Click here to donate.

And don’t forget to check out Nine Line Apparel’s website. They have some pretty cool tactical gear and shirts to support the cause and a portion of every product sold goes to the foundation as well, and the owners are veterans and extremely nice. If you’re ever in Savannah, you should stop in and see them.

Your turn! Have you ever participated in an event that you had you slightly emotional? What’s your favorite cause?

Am I on a roll or what? Think I can keep the posts coming? I hope so. That’s the plan anyway. OK, OK, on to the real reason you’re here: the Mud Run recap.

But before I get to the race recap, I want to share a little story. On my long, slow runs, I often listen to podcasts. It helps pass the time an enjoy the information. One of my favorite podcasts is Runner Girls Podcast (click here to read the blog). These three ladies share their weekly training, race recaps, offer running information and runner recommends. They also will highlight a runner each episode from Daily Mile (that’s my profile, follow me). Well, a few weeks ago on of their episodes they asked for any listeners that would like to share a race recap on one of their listener shows. Having not run any big races, I didn’t think any of my recaps would be what they were intersted in, but when they announced they still needed a few more, I figured why not ask. I asked and they said yes.

That brings me to today’s race recap. Instead of writing it all out, I was a guest on their podcast, and now you can listen to my race recap. How cool is that!!!

So, without further adieu, click here to be taken to the podcast and enjoy. I start around 36 minutes in, but seriously you should listen to the whole podcast. It’s fantastic!

Yes, I know it looks like I’m walking across a balance but seriously, have you ever tried to walk through really think and gunky mud? It’s hard and you will slip and fall. Who knows, I was probably getting ready to slip as this was taken.

This slide was awesome!!! I can’t even begin to express how many times I wanted to do this.

The tall wall that scared me. It was really the going over the top part that did it.

Over, under, over, under. Not the best face, but I like to keep it real.

OK, so I may have exaggerated on the size of the tire a little, but no joke, this was one of the biggest tires (and one of the only ones left at that point) and the inside was full of water. And that smile? TJ must have caught me at the beginning of this obstacle because at the end, I was over the tire. LOL!

This was that rope ladder I tried describing as the ladders at carnivals. Was I close?

I had to climb up another rope ladder to roll across this net and slide down a fireman’s pole.

The football field length pool of mud at the finish. When you’re tired and have already expended a lot of your energy, you start thinking you’ll never reach the end.

We made it!!!!

And what I mentioned very briefly in the podcast, a kids run. Dylan did the kid’s run that was held before the start of the first wave, and Jordyn did the run the second time, after our run was over. They both loved every second of it and wanted to do it again. They are so proud of themselves. That first picture is actually Danielle and I after Dylan earned his medal from the run.

What does a tired mom do when her 3 year old needs help completing her first race? Why, help her of course! And thank God for Danielle. She made it so much easier.

OK, can I first start with I am SO sorry! I am SO far behind in blogging it’s not even funny. Well, maybe to someone it is, but I’m a little embarrassed. What a bad blogger I am! Anywho, what better way to jump back into blogging than a race recap.

I was so excited about this 5K. I had been wanting to do a color run for a while, but some of them are a little pricey and if you’ve read my blog for a while, you know I budget my money and can be a bit frugal at times. So when I found out about the Kilt and Kolor Run from Endurance Race Services (a race company I absolutely LOVE) and that it was so affordable, I jumped on it. In fact, I signed up TJ as well (don’t worry I asked if he’d do it first).

The closer it got to race day, the more excited I became. I decided to make a shirt to represent my MRTT group. We had a babysitter lined up to watch the kids so we could have our own race date. And then, the morning of the race, my daughter woke up with a fever. Knowing how excited I was about the race, TJ told me to go and have a good time and he would stay home with Jordyn. I was bummed about the situation but headed out the door.

Take a look at how clean I am. It’s all about to change.

I arrived a bit early but it allowed me to check my phone and my keys, move around and warm up and do a little Zumba before the race to get my heart pumping.

Finally it was time to race. Being the first year for this race, it was smaller, but I kind of liked it that way. We lined up at the start and there wasn’t any overcrowding. We started to race and had breathing room right away.

Before I go on, here’s a little info about the race. The 5K had three color stations and since the race was an out and back, you went through each color station twice giving you six chances to be showered with color. About ½ mile in was the first color station. The volunteers were really great about throwing color on everyone and we were covered after just the first station. After laughs and quickly realizing keeping your mouth closed is the best option, I raced on.

When I began the race, I wondered how I would feel. Because I didn’t want to ruin my phone, I checked it and had no music for the race. It wasn’t until the race started that I realized you could hear music through almost the entire course, leaving me feeling great.

I reached the halfway point and grabbed some water from the water stationed and headed back for the last half of the race. It was just after the halfway point when I could hear the race director announce that the first runners had finished. It was an untimed race, but I knew when I heard that I must have been doing great on time, which gave me motivation to push a little harder.

After passing the final color station, I knew I was almost done. I ran into the finish feeling just as good as when I started. OK, OK, I felt better than I did before I started. Those endorphins will do that to you.

Grabbing a water, I headed to get my phone and keys from gear check and realized there was a strong possibility I PR’d that race. I don’t know for sure since it was untimed, but based on when I picked up my phone, I think it was by a few minutes. Now I can’t wait for my next 5K!

As I sat down this morning to write this blog post, I open up Blogger and realize it’s been a month since last blogged. It hasn’t been since my virtual 5K in January. YIKES! Well, I’m finally back and with another race recap, my first 10K!!!! Yay me!

It started with packet pick up on Friday, which if you follow me on Instagram, and you should) you saw this picture.

I LOVE how they gave us a headband instead of a t-shirt. It’s different and I like that!

Friday night, I got everything ready. I knew Saturday was going to be chilly but it was supposed to be one of those in between temperatures where you may need long sleeves, you may not. I opted for a lightweight long sleeve, I could pull off if needed with some pants.

Saturday morning arrived, and it was off to the race. TJ wasn’t running this with me, but the good sport that he was came out to support me, take a few pictures and hang out with the kids. But man oh man, we stepped out the door Saturday morning and it was cold, well colder than we were expecting. But everyone was in jackets and we grabbed a blanket for Jordyn in case it was a little too cold for her.

As always, were earlier than we needed to be but it gave me a chance to just walk around and relax. The only problem, it was getting windy making it even colder outside. TJ finally convinced me to put Jordyn in the provided child care. Truthfully, I was being cheap frugal and I figured if TJ was there then we didn’t need it, but it was cold so it was the best option.

After dropping Jordyn off it was time to meet up with the fabulous ladies of my local running group, Moms Run This Town. They have chapters all over the country so if you’re looking for a running group, click on the link and see if they have one near you. And if they don’t, you start it. We had enough time for a quick photo op and then it was time to head outside to the start.

As we wait for the start the winds start picking up, so I put on my new, super cool headband.

And then the moment we all waited for…..GO TIME!

I knew the moment I started, I went out a little too fast, so I did try to slow down but if you’ve ever done a race, you know that the excitement along with all the people around you makes it a little tough to do.

We got out of the church parking lot, where the race started and the winds began. I knew before we left the house that 22-24 mph winds were expected during the race, but there definitely some gusts that were higher than that. We were all running against the wind with them as ridiculous as they were, it was making this run a definite challenge.

Not long into the race, I started doubting myself. I was really beginning to wonder if I was going to be able to finish this race, so I kept giving myself some goals and places to reach before I allowed myself a walk break. My left knee was feeling uncomfortable. It wasn’t hurting but definitely wasn’t feeling peachy. At the 2 mile mark, I was feeling a bit better but still like I needed a walk break so I told myself if I can make it to the halfway point then I will allow myself a walk break. And that’s what I did.

Hitting that halfway point and taking a walk break was what I needed. I knew I could finish the race but it may not be the best time I had seen. Also, this race was an out and back race, so I pretty much didn’t have a choince but to finish at that point. haha! But truthfully, the walk break was huge for me. It allowed me to catch my breath, and take it all in. As hard as it was feeling, I started realizing it wasn’t the run I had ever had. Most of this seemed to be in my head.

It was then I really started taking in my surroundings and continued running with some walk breaks in between. This race was held in a neighborhood with some gorgeous homes. If I had thought about it, I would have taken pictures of some of these homes, but my mind was not on picture taking. LOL! While house gazing and running, I finally noticed that the winds were starting to die down around Mile 4-4.5. And I was actually starting to get a little warm, but I really didn’t want to carry my long-sleeve shirt, so I said forget it and just kept running.

When I reached that last mile, my right foot was hurting, but at that point I didn’t have much left, so I wasn’t going to let that stop me unless it was really bad. This was more of a sore feeling. And finally it came time to cross the street and head into the parking lot of the church and to the finish.

As I’m coming in and getting closer, there’s Dylan cheering me on. I just love hos TJ caught us both in the picture.

Goin’ in for the finish!

YAY!!!! I did it!! And that up is because some of those ladies by the finish line are part of the running group.

With the race over, it was time for to receive my medal,

my hot chocolate mug (can you see the little spoon that comes with it? so cute!)

and of course there was hot chocolate and chocolate fondue! I was too busy eating the fruit and sharing with the kids to capture any of that deliciousness, but it was so good!

Despite everything that went on, and the feelings I had of not finishing, when I look back at it, it really wasn’t that bad. My official time was 1:14:10. It wasn’t my best run, but it wasn’t worst by a long shot. I did have a great time and the race was great.

Oh, and when I stopped my running apps (I use Runkeeper and Nike+) check out what it says for my 5K time!

No complaints there! Something to try and beat or come close to with next month’s 5K with TJ!

Have you had a race that didn’t go as planned as you ran it but when you looked back at it, you realized it wasn’t nearly as bad as you thought it was while running it?

Are you reading this post thinking, “I swear a virtual was not her agenda for January,” and are now confused? Your thoughts are right. A virtual was definitely not part of my plan for the month, but a few things happened to change that.

First, our internet went out. Now, it’s been going in and out fo a while but the past two weeks or so it has happened more frequently and then the first weekend in January, it was went out and pretty much stayed out for almost 3 days with a few bursts of it actually working for about 30 minutes at a time, and when I say a few bursts, I mean 2-3 each day. Sadly, we didn’t always know it was working until the tail end so it didn’t really help us out. In any case, by the time Comcast could get a tech sent out to fix everything and get it working again, race registration was over for both races I had chosen. Way to wait til the last minute Sabrina.

So I began looking for a different race to sign up for, and I started thinking and the more I started thinking, the more I questioned if registering for an actual event was the right choice for me. I was just getting back into running and financially it may not be the best choice since TJ just started back to school and we haven’t started receiving housing yet. That and those pesky problems called bills and taxes get in the way. So I made the decision to run a virtual race through US Road Running.

I chose the free option. I did wonder if it doing it this way would cause me to not it take quite as seriously as being in an actual race enviornment. And I was kind of right. I didn’t push myself as hard as I probably would have in a race enviornment but it did push me. Before heading out, I knew I wanted to try something a little different and so instead of heading out and taking my usual route, I went in the opposite direction toward the college that is basically at the edge of our neighborhood. I live so close to the college and it’s baseball and soccer fields, that on game night if the house is quiet you can hear loud cheers from the fans. It’s faint but you can hear it.

The college has a trail that you can walk, run or bike ride on so I figured I’d give it a try. After a short warm-up, I began my 5K on the main road in my neighborhood and then headed towards the college trail. The trail was pretty peaceful despite being right next to the back road that takes you out of my neighborhood. It’s not completely hidden but enough to make it peaceful.

It didn’t start out at all the way I wanted it to. I immediately started feeling it in my legs and I wanted to stop. 2 miles was as far as I wanted to go, and I seemed to struggling to get to that, but I pushed through telling myself this was supposed to be my 5K, and only if I really needed to would stop at 2 miles.

I slowly started feeling better and knew I could get the 5K done, but there would be a walk break in there. I mean, hello, I was just getting back into running after an extended break; I had to allow myself that walk break if I needed it. And I did, but it was the virtual 5K and the thought that I told myself today was the day that actually kept me going to finish it out rather than quit at 2 miles.

So, the virtual 5K definitely helped. It may not have been as motivating but I got it done and that’s what’s important. Oh, and my overall time was just a few seconds slower than my first ever 5K, so I really can’t complain.

****Side note: I’m totally aware this is pretty much the most boring post ever since there are no pictures. Oops!! Next time I run the college trail I’ll be sure to snap some pictures, I promise.

I know, I know, where the hell have I been? I’ve been gone for way too long. There’s been a lot going on in my life lately and this blog seemed to have falled off the face of the planet when that happened. Oops!!! I’ve got nothing, except I’m sorry and I’m really working to do better. I promise

But what better way to come back to the blogging world, than with a huge brag accomplishment post about my 7 year old. In December, TJ and I ran the Savannah Bridge Run. Dylan was there to cheer us on and that day he had decided he wanted to run it with us the next year. I was so excited and all for it. There’s just one thing: Dylan has never run 3 miles all at once before.

I knew I would have to get him to start running and practicing if he really wanted to run the bridge. I’ve been a huge slacker mom and hadn’t gotten him started with running. He was getting plenty of exercise but I just never got him focused on running.

One random weekend day, I brought up the subject of him running the 5K and that maybe he’d like to go run with me just to practice some. Instead, Dylan responded with how easy a 5K would be and how would was going to get first place. I admired his confidence and determination but I also knew at 7 years old, he really didn’t know how long 3 miles was and that he might be in for a surprise.

Then a running group I’m part of, Savannah Moms Run This Town, posted a link to a Living Social Deal for the Girls On The Run 5K. The entry fee was half off and knowing Dylan need exposure to the true length of a 5K, TJ and I thought this would be a good chance to allow him to see how long it was and if he wanted to quit halfway through, then it would be ok since it was out and back, and the cost of the entry fee wasn’t high. TJ and I asked Dylan if he wanted to try it out. He excitedly said yes, and we were registered for our first 5K as family, with Jordyn being pushed in the stroller by TJ.

Now, fast foward to the week before the race. TJ calls me while he’s at school with the opportunity to work on his first film as boom mic operator (you know those guys that hold the huge microphones above the actors during filming) on a student film. Reminding him, he would miss the race, he almost cancelled on the film shoot, but I knew we could do it and he needed the experience. That left with pushing Jordyn in the stroller.

If you’ve read my blog long enough, you may find that I never talk about my runs with Jordyn. I talk about my walks with her, but never my runs. Why you ask? Because I don’t do it. I don’t run with Jordyn in a stroller. I typically take my runs as me time, but, really, it’s tough work. We also don’t have a jogging stroller, which makes it a bit tougher. So, I knew I was going to be in for a real challenge as well.

The morning of the race Dylan was up and ready to go in record time. He was so excited about the race. Me, on the other hand, wasn’t as excited. I knew how tough it might be for pushing the stroller but it was more about Dylan and with him as excited as he was, you couldn’t help but smile and have a little excitement yourself.

Once we got arrived at Savannah State University, wherethe race was held, we checked in, were given or t-shirts and bibs and then walked around a little bit. And before heading to the start, we of course had to get a before race picture.

Once lining up on the track for the start, we sapotted this awesome dad sporting a matching tutu with his daughter.

Finally it was time to race. Before the race began, I told Dylan how he needed to start slow. If he did that, he’d be able to run longer and farther. Well, the poor kid was just too dang excited. I kept asking him to slow down some in an effort to pace himself. He made it about 1/2 mile before he asked if we could take a walk break, which honestly I was fine with. Pushing that stroller isn’t easy. He caught his breath and was ready to go again. We ran for a little bit longer before he needed another walk break. And so on. We made this a run/walk 5K, as I figured it would be. I let Dylan determine when we would walk and run, but tried to push him just a little further each time he said he wanted to walk. If he asked to walk, I suggested making it to the next tree or lamp post. It usually gave him a little push, but I knew I couldn’t push him too much since he wasn’t used to this at all.

This race route was out and back, so when we started passing people, Dylan would be running and cheering on the other runners. He kept encouraging anyone and everyone to keep it up and that they were doing great. His sportmanship was phenomonal.

We finally made it back to the stadium where we would 3/4 of the way around the track to the finish line. I told Dylan to wait for me to yell, “GO” and when I did to run as fast as he could through that finish line. I told him not to stop until he crossed the finish. At the final stretch, I told him to go, and he took off. I, ran as fast as I could as well but with that stroller I knew I wasn’t going to be as fast as he was. I just kept cheering him on as I ran and to keep it up.

As soon as he crossed the finish, he stopped, turned around and waited for me, but he was kind of in the way of the rest of the finishers. Ooops! No one seemed to care but as we walked out the way, they were handing out finisher medals. Dylan was already proud of himself for finishing and then they hand him a medal. His whole face lit up.

He went on and on about how awesome he did and how he got a “gold medal.” After the race, we met up with a few of the ladies from the Savannah MRTT group for a group photo, and he was flashing his medal around (unaware that they too got one. lol) Gotta love those ladies for humoring him.

All in all, it was a great race for him. He had a great time, but is now a little unsure about the bridge run. I told him with practice, he can absolutely do bridge run and beat his time. He’s got a bit of motivation now and is ready to start running a little more.

As for me, whew! Kudos to you moms who run with strollers on a regualr basis. That was tough work and if it weren’t for the major calorie, I would never entertain the idea again. haha! But, that calorie burn was amazing! On a completely different note, I would love to make a family 5K a new Mother’s Day (weekend) tradition.

Do you run with a stroller? Do you have any tips? How about kids running 5K’s? Do you know of the best approach for kids and training?

First, I just want to say this post is entirely overdue! Like ridiculously overdue, but since I’ve actually had a few people ask me about it. I figured they deserved more than a, “It was great!”

I would like to start out by saying the Savannah Bridge Run was my first ever 5K and I was a little over-the-top prepared….and early, so a huge kudos needs to go out to TJ for agreeing to run this race with me after working all night and then sitting with me waiting for forever for the race to start, Beth who came out to the race to watch my kids and wait for us and cheer us on near the finish line, and for my kids for having to wake up way too early.

To say I was pumped about the race was a gross understatement. Even though I had slacked for a while before this race, I wasn’t at all nervous and was so excited. The night before the race, I had everything in the car and ready to go that needed to be: race inf and bibs, a change of clothes for TJ, and stuff for the kids when Beth took over. I had my clothes out and ready and I went to bed early.

I picked TJ up from work the next morning, and we were off to meet Beth downtown. Once we found Beth, we gave her everything I packed for the kids (you probably would have thought she was watching them all day, not 2 hours). We then walked the few blocks to the Savannah Civic Center. The Bridge Run had two areas for parking. One was across the bridge at the Convention Center and the other suggested area was a parking deck on the downtown side. The rebels that we are chose neither and parked on a side street close to the Civic Center where the race was finishing. If you parked on the downtown side (where we parked) they had trolleys that would take you over the bridge to the Convention Center where the 5K started. After saying goodbye to Beth and the kids, we hopped on trolley and headed over.

We were literally on the first trolley over. My need to be early is kind of ridiculous. Sometimes, I can’t help it. We arrive at the Convention Center and have nothing to do for almost 2 hours. So we find a spot inside, and we sit. And we took pictures.

Of ourselves.

Of our game face!

Of the man that is about to run 3.1 miles in heels! He rocked my world…and those heels! LOL!!!

Finally the time came to make our way to the start line. We knew this was a big race but it really helps put it in perspective when you’re at the start line and see all the people there. Here’s everyone in front of us. And we were a little close to the front.

And now it’s time to race! The have separated the runners and the walkers by the divide in the road which I think is great and was probably a huge help to the runners. It took us a few minutes before we actually were able to cross the start line, and then we were off making our way to the bridge. It was once we we were going up on the bridge that I needed to slow down and take a few walk breaks. Most All of the runs I had down before the race were on flat ground, so this hill they call the Talmedge Bridge wasn’t easy. I did better going up than I thought, thanks to TJ and his constant pushing me to keep running but I still needed the walk breaks. It was when we were almost to the top (and I was on one my last walk breaks on the bridge) that I snapped a few pictures. It was a gorgeous day outside and despite that fact that we were on the side of the bridge that was closer to the ports, the view was spectacular! It was halfway up the bridge that I had already made my decision about making this a race a yearly tradition.

Once we got to the top, and I was done with my camera phone pictures, that we began the run down the bridge. The hardest part was over! I know it’s a downward hill but this was the easiest part of my run and I was impressed with how controlled I kept myself, rather than wanting to run as fast as I could down it. I knew I would need to save some energy for the bottom of the bridge.

Once reaching the bottom of the bridge, you have to make a loop and go under it. Looking at everyone behind was truly incredible. There were so many people out here running. It’s pretty inspiring!

Once crossing underneath the bridge, I knew we just had to make across one major intersection and we would see Beth and the kids soon. I took one last walk break and then TJ and decided we running the rest of the way.

The excitement on their face was priceless and just seeing them cheering us on was the motivation I needed to push it that last little bit. We rounded the corner to the finish and then grabbed hands and ran the last 10th of mile crossing the finish line hand in hand at 37:01.79

We went straight to the water table and then met up with Beth and the kids. They were so happy to see us and Dylan said he wants to run with us next year! No problem! We can make it a family event. Dylan talked about all the people in costumes that he saw and how fast some them were running. We stayed and listened to music and for them to announce the winners.

And by that point TJ was getting tired. He had worked all night, then went straight downtown to run a 5K. He was ready to go home and sleep, so we didn’t stay long enough to hear the results of the costume contest but here are some of the people in costume we saw